I received a rude awakening this morning from Viper. As soon as I felt several hard nudges across the back of my head and neck, I woke up with a groan. Of course, I did well enough to hide it. I was more tired than I usually was. I hated waking up earlier than I had to. Still, I wore a smile on my face and yet out a small yawn.
"Morning". I muttered sleepily as I turned round and came face to face with the blue eyed serpent.
"Morning". She replied cheerfully as she gave me a small kiss on the lips before the both of us got out of bed.
After showering and breakfast, we were all ready to go. The only few that were awake other than us was Shifu Tigress and Po. I suppose Po was up because of Shifu. He still had another two thirds of the steps to clean from what I could tell by the state of them. We all said our goodbyes and left down the stairs. A sudden thought hit me.
"Say Viper, how far away is the great Sh'e village"?
"A days walk".
"Ah. So we're walking there"?
"No, we're taking that".
Viper pointed to the bottom of the stairs. I followed her tail down to see a young antelope with a round straw hat similar to Cranes with two holes through the top for his antlers. He seemed to be a driver for a large wooden rickshaw that he was carrying by the front handles.
"How long will it take with that"? I asked again.
"Maybe thirteen hours".
Well at least it was better than a full day. If only they had cars here, I could get us there in an hour. But of course this was ancient China so cars obviously didn't exist, crushing the dream. Not to mention that it would be kind of hard to drive without feet. Shame. Oh well, I never really finished my driving test due to dying I suppose.
"Fair enough".
We boarded the rickshaw and rested beside each other. This was going to be a long trip so I'd better get myself in a comfortable position.
We set off. The antelope ran at a steady pace. I still felt tired from half an hour ago when I first woke up so I decided to waste some time by sleeping it away. Viper had the same idea. The pair of us coiled around each other and got some sleep. We both knew this was going to be a long journey.
SOME TIME LATER...
I woke up at some unknown time. From what I could see we had gone from the Valley of Peace to what looked like the middle of nowhere. Viper caught my attention as she moaned happily and tightened her body around me whilst she slept. I just chuckled at this and kept looking behind to see the scenery, or whatever came close to one.
Ten minutes later was all it took for Viper to wake up after me. I didn't notice at first until her snout bumped into my neck.
"Hey". She spoke softly.
"Hey". I replied back.
"Do you see anything yet"?
"Nah, nothing but grey".
I wasn't joking either. Rocks and stone covered the area while dark clouds dominated the sky. It looked as though it was going to rain at any second. The place was duller than even Shifu on a bad day.
"I hope it's not too much further away". I spoke up.
"Maybe another six hours if I were to guess".
"Great"...
"You're not still down are you"?
"Wha- no. I'm fine, I promise".
Viper looked at me a little longer before lying back down. I rolled my eyes and kept looking behind me.
Another two hours passed. Still bored. We have another four or five more hours until we're there. I'm really starting to feel the time so by slowly. I stopped looking at the scenery and rested next to Viper and spoke.
"You've been quiet for some time now".
"Sorry. I just feel bored".
"You too"?
"Mhm".
I shook my head at this. A couple of seconds hadn't gone by when Viper raised her head, only to put it back down in front of me. Her neck crossed the back of mine.
"So what would you like to talk about"? She asked.
"I suppose it would be nice to hear a bit about the great Sh'e village. It sounds like a beautiful place".
"Oh it is. The village is one of the most famous villages across China and"...
Viper went into great detail about not only the village but also her family. I could tell that she was still trying to convince me that her parents were quite nice. Not that I needed convincing, I hung onto every word she said. But that spark of worry never faded no matter what Viper said to try and extinguish it. She made sure to mention how she would attend concerts for ribbon dancing and how incredible the village looked at night. It took maybe half an hour to explain every single detail.
"...So that's everything I know of the great Sh'e village since I left to train at the Jade palace". She finished. I nodded in understanding.
"Wow. Sounds like there's a lot to do".
"There will be once I introduce you to my family".
"Yeah, can't wait". I smiled somewhat weakly. I then lifted my tail up and stroked the snake across her cheek making her giggle slightly. Just by doing that, something crossed my head from some time ago. When she tickled me into admitting that she had won a sparring match some time ago. I did say I'd get revenge for it sooner or later.
"You know, you still owe me for that one time you nearly tickled me to death". I grinned evilly as I tightened my body around hers. The second I uttered my sentence, Vipers eyes widened.
"You wouldn't". She glared.
"Wouldn't I"? I smirked back and began using my tail to brush against the side of her gently, making her laugh softly. Thank goodness she is ticklish otherwise I'd have looked like quite the idiot. I then applied a little more pressure, making her laugh more and more. Even I got a small laugh out of it as she was now laughing hysterically. Honestly, I think this was more to help pass the time than anything else. Well, mainly out of revenge, but still, at least it was satisfying. To one of us.
"HAHAHOKA-OKAYHAHAHA! PLEASE STOHAHAHA"!
"Oh I'm sorry. What was that"? I teased innocently.
"PLEHEHEHEHAHAHAA! STOP AREAHAHAHA"!
Okay, no need to overdo it. I released my grip and let her go. She had a murderous glare on her face while I smirked back. The quick change of mood was amusing.
"Consider us even".
I really must say, the rickshaw driver does his job well if he hadn't been distracted by any of my nonsense.
Only one hour to go.
The pair of us were now back to sitting down. It had been a long thirteen hours. It was now dark. At this point, Po and the rest of the five would most likely be sitting down in the kitchen and be having dinner. That is considering how good a job Po has done on those stairs.
As for myself, I just held Viper close to me as she cuddled her head into my chest. It was silent. Bamboo surrounded the rickshaw on either side as a small group of fireflies danced above us. In the distance, it was easy to see that, at last, the village had appeared in sight. We're nearly there. I nudged Viper gently and her eyes fluttered open. I gestured for her to look off into the distance. She did so and saw the lights. She was happier at the sight.
"Even from a distance, it looks beautiful". I commented, seeing the different colored lighting that engulfed the large village.
"Of course it does. It is my hometown as well".
I looked down at her.
"You never told me that".
"Sorry. I guess it slipped my mind". She smiled sheepishly. I rolled my eyes.
"Oh well. Better late than never eh"?
I lowered my head and kissed her gently. I pulled back after a few seconds as it felt a bit awkward in front of the rickshaw driver.
"Hey Mike"?
"Yes Vipes"?
"Thanks for coming with me".
"Of course. I'd do anything for you". I chuckled. I just let her rest her head once more on me. Under my neck this time. I just stared at the village and thought to myself while over exageratting.
"I'll just be happy if this goes better than the movie Meet the Fockers".
Finally we arrived in the village. The town was teeming with all sorts of animal species that you wouldn't find in the Valley of Peace such as wolves, jaguars, even a few other snakes. The further the rickshaw driver led us into the town, the more I realized that he wasn't stopping and dropping us off. At least not in a random location. We went past all the buildings and through the streets and closed in one a large wooden house in the distance almost separated from all the other wooden buildings.
"I take it that's our destination"? I asked Viper.
"That's it". She smiled back before sighing happily. "It's been so long since I last came back here".
"Bet it's a nice feeling".
"It is".
Finally we could slither off the rickshaw that had carried us non stop for more than half a day. If I had any legs, they'd be stiff. I gave a small stretch and turned to Viper.
"Ready"? She asked me.
"Ready as I'll ever be".
We walked up the walkway to the front door. My heart was going at a hundred beats a minute due to the tension. I didn't even know what her parents looked like. It made me feel a little extra nervous.
Viper calmly knocked three times and we waited patiently.
The door opened and an orange glow appeared through the opening showing that the house was lit from the inside. Once the door was properly opened, a large viper, twice as big as Viper stood at the doorway. I was surprised to see that he had a long mustache and eyebrows just as big and bushy and Shifus. I didn't think that was even possible! Two ivory knife like fangs hung from his upper jaws and he had a look that would make even the toughest warrior turn away. I had no idea what to say, if I even could say anything.
"Father"! Viper smiled happily and hugged the massive leviathan of a snake before me. He then chuckled as he embraced his daughter. Laughter's good, right? Least it keeps him from hating me just a little bit longer.
"Good to see you again my little Viper".
"Father, not in front of company". She laughed.
He then looked right at me, noticing my presence. Even though it was a gentle look, it still made me fear him as the last look he just gave made it look as though he was planning on eating me or something. Snakes don't do that to other snakes do they? Please tell me they don't.
"And this must be Mike, am I right"? He asked me as he broke the hug with his daughter.
"Yes sir". I spoke, trying to keep my voice from squeaking. He slithered from her and closer to me. It took a lot of willpower not to back up in fear. His eyes stared into mine. I felt like I was going to be killed by his gaze alone. But after what felt like much too long, the elder snake looked more calm and, to my comfort, smiled.
"Please, you make me sound as though I am ancient. Call me Yǒudú (Chinese for poisonous)".
"Yǒudú. Pleasure to meet you. Viper has told me much about you". In half a day that is.
"Ah excellent, then you know that I care for all my young, including Viper".
"Yes, of course".
"Good. I can tell that she made a good choice when picking a mate".
"Father"! Viper blushed. Her father gave a small chuckle at his daughters childishness.
"Please, come in. Allow me to introduce you to Vipers mother". He spoke as he slithered back into the house. Myself and Viper followed him in and I made sure to close the door behind me. More out of politeness rather than worry of appearing rude.
Well, so far so good. From what I can tell, Vipers father is a disciplined and wise snake. He seemed much friendlier than I had imagined him to be. Most of the first floor proved to be a great hall with a throne at the very back in the middle. I guess he's also the town mayor as well? That wasn't too surprising I suppose given his title.
As I slithered in, myself and Viper sat down on a chair made of bamboo each. They were a little tough for my liking but I didn't let it show on my face. As Yǒudú slithered in, another snake the same size as he was entered. She looked much like Viper did. She carefully slithered in front of us. She had a cheery smile on her face. She leaned down and hugged Viper and spoke.
"So glad to see you again my little blossom flower". She smiled.
"Hi mother. I'm glad to see you as well". Viper replied just as cheery. The large snake turned to me with the same smile.
"And you must be Mike, yes"?
"Yes, that's right. Pleasure to meet you too". I smiled. Though I certainly wasn't expecting a hug from the snake almost double my size. The fact that I was a midget compared to her made me feel a little awkward. I just accepted it and waited for her to let go. Yǒudú spoke up.
"Allow me to introduce my wife, Ti'an Hua (Chinese for Sweet Flower)".
"Such a nice name". I commented as the large female viper gave a small giggle in response. She certainly did act a lot like Viper did. Guess it explains her sweetness.
"Mother, where is Y'ang (Kind)"? Viper spoke up.
"I'm afraid she's having to work late tonight dear. You know how busy she can be when she's creating those clay pots of hers".
"Y'ang? She's your sister isn't she"? I asked Viper.
"She is. She's a little bossy time to time but you'll grow to like her".
"Well, now that introductions are done, I believe we should all get some rest. It is rather late and you two have a great day to come tomorrow". Yǒudú gleamed as he then led me and Viper to our room upstairs. When he showed us the room we'd be staying in. It looked a little bigger than I thought. Two large beds with covers lay at either side of the room and a couple of even bigger cupboards for our belongings if we had taken any to begin with. In the center of the back wall was a small window which let in a cool satisfying breeze.
"I hope it is to your liking". The great snake hissed.
"It is. Thank you... Yǒudú". I spoke, a little uncomfortable saying his proper name probably because everyone else refers to him as Great Master Viper. Hopefully I'll grow used to it.
"Good night to the both of you". He smiled and left, closing the door as he did. Once Viper was sure he was gone, she smiled at me.
"So, how do you feel now"? She asked, knowing the answer.
"Much better than I thought I would. Your parents are rather nice I must agree".
"See? I told you there was nothing to fear".
"Indeed. Still to meet your sister but that can wait until tomorrow".
"Well honestly, I have two sisters".
"Two? So where is this second sister"?
"She's studying different cultures around the world. Right now she's in India".
"Wow, that's incredible". I spoke in slight surprise. So that means that only Viper and her father are warriors in the family. It wasn't what I was expecting. I'd have thought that all of them would have been deadly warriors. Still, going to India is a rare opportunity for most even in my own world so I should be happy for her. Hopefully I will be able to meet her in the future.
"I know".
"Well, We'd better get some shut eye. Your father did say we've a long day ahead of us".
I climbed into the bed on the left and closed my eyes. Only for them to open almost at once, feeling Viper right next to me. She was lying in the same bed as I was, leaving hers unattended.
"Um, Viper? Are you sure sleeping in the same bed is a good idea right now? This is your parents home after all".
"Trust me, they won't mind. To be honest, I think they're waiting for the grand children".
My face heated up almost at once.
"Um, shouldn't we have a talk about that, as in for the future"?
"I don't mean right now silly". She hissed, lightly slapping my head. I turned round to face her.
"Sorry". I smiled, noticing the blush on Vipers face as well.
"But I suppose that is something to think about, hmm"?
I gave a forced smile.
"Yeah, it would be something to think about"...
"Mike"?
"Yes Vipes"?
As soon as she caught my full attention, she gave me a kiss on the lips. I smiled and kissed back gently. After a small bit of time, I pulled away and she continued to speak.
"I love you".
"I love you too Vipes". I gave her a kiss of my own before we both fell asleep.
...
Small chapter to keep you guys entertained. Oh, and also... 150'000 words?! I never expected to have put in so much work and effort into this one story yet here it is. Big thanks to you guys for inspiring me to continue with this story. Cheerio!